Community Impact Statements
Plain-English digest of CPS prosecution guidance.
AI-generated summary — not verbatim. This is a plain-English digest, not the official CPS text. It may omit detail or fall out of date. Do not rely on it for a charging decision — read the full guidance on cps.gov.uk and check the current legislation.
This guidance outlines the approach for utilizing community impact statements within the prosecution process, highlighting how they can inform decision-making and improve public confidence. It differentiates between generic and specific community impact statements and details the importance of community concerns in the prosecution of offences. It emphasizes that community impact statements should not be used as part of the evidential test for charging but can be influential at the public interest stage.
Key points
- Community impact statements help understand the wider impact of offending.
- They should inform the public interest stage but are not part of the evidential test.
- Judges may consider prevalence in sentencing based on significant local harm.
- Community impact statements can be generic or specific.
- A community can be defined by shared characteristics, not just geography.
- Evidence of prevalence must be linked directly to the offence charged.
Public-interest factors
- Greater impact on community increases likelihood of prosecution.
- Prevalence of an offence may heighten its seriousness.
- Community definition includes shared characteristics and experiences.
- Evidence of impact can come from community impact statements.
This is a factual digest of guidance published by the Crown Prosecution Service. Digested 2026-07-15. BlueLineHub is independent and not affiliated with the CPS.